Dancing And Dreaming
by MissGuenever
Summary: Another toe into the Extra Cargo Caroline 'verse.  The crew sets down on Triumph and has some rare extra time for socialization and dancing.


**A/N**: I'm really stuck on Extra Cargo. I know where it needs to go; I'm just having problems actually writing it down. And other little things have been coming into my head. Mal came knocking on my brainpan Saturday. So here is his interlude; maybe now I'll be able to finish Extra Cargo. **Gaben** thanks so much for betaing!

_FireflyFirefly_

_Oh no this was not happening. Not happening to him! He was sending her to a convent. A her to a convent until she was at least thirty. His little girl was not going on a date! _The rant happening in Mal's head as he stood with Zoë, Wash, and Jayne, waiting for Caroline to emerge from Inara's shuttle, stopped abruptly as the hatch opened and Inara emerged with Caroline and Kaylee closely behind. "Wow." Mal was speechless; at sixteen his daughter had turned into a young woman. Inara and Kaylee had done something with her hair so that it swirled around her shoulders.

"Daddy, do I look okay?" Caroline swirled her new dress around. She'd helped Inara and Kaylee make dresses similar to those worn by all the young women on Triumph; it was a flowered prairie style dress.

"Nǚ hair, daughter. You look wonderful!" He smiled at his baby; thinking back to the nights where he'd stayed up all night watching her because she was sick or having nightmares. "Little diffr'nt than the coveralls and boots."

"My Jayne?" Grinning she swirled her dress again. The name was something she'd started calling him when she was little. Jayne was her big brother, baby sitter, teacher, and best friend.

"Mei mei. You look good. Don't you do nuthin' ruttinyu bun duh, stupid tonight. We'll be watchin'." The big man grunted.

"Shia, yeah. I got it." Caroline did one more spin and rolled her eyes at Jayne; he was almost as over protective as her dad. "Aphel's here! Bye pops, ghuh-ghuh, big brother, everyone."

Caroline bounced down the ramp onto Triumph and took Aphel's arm. She really didn't want him getting to close to the crew. Jayne was glaring and holding Vera, with a holster around his waist. Her dad had also pinned the young lad with a warning glare. He was wearing his usual pair of holsters and was holding a large knife. "Fong luh, crazy! Both of them! Could they get any weirder? She murmured to herself, then giggled at Aphel.

Mal watched his daughter's retreating form. Inara came and stood next to him "I bet you never thought you'd see this day."

"Truthsome, never thought I would. If'fn that boy does anything to my baobei, precious. I swear…"

The companion placed a gentle hand on the tense Captain's arm. "Mal, stay calm."

"Are we ready yet? I can't wait to go dancing!" Kaylee was excited. It wasn't too often they got to be someplace long enough to socialize. Simon and River were already down where the festivities were happening. She swished her dress around; the three of them had made dresses that were similar to the designs worn in this area. It paid to keep a low profile, at least that is what Zoë said – but, you didn't see the first mate in a long skirt. Kaylee did her awkward best to sashay down the ramp with Inara and skipped towards the music. It was not often Kaylee wore a dress let alone one with a shiny long skirt, purty flowers on it; it made her feel all kinds of womanly. Wash, Zoë and Jayne were close behind the two women.

Mal held up a hand; "Jayne, ya ain't takin' Vera. No guns." He barked. The Captain wasn't in the best mood; his daughter was going on a date. And then Inara and Kaylee, with a little help from River, had ganged up on him and Jayne, making them promise: no guns, no hundan, stupid over protective crap. Well, that was how Kaylee had phrased it. A girl needs to have some fun without her dad hovering over every little thing she does.

"Mal." Jayne whined.

"We promised. Sides you wanna eat yer own cookin' for the next week?"

"Not in seven ruttin' hells." Jayne stomped back onto Serenity and carefully locked Vera and his backup gun, and the boot gun away. By the time he got back Mal was waiting without his leather holster. They shared a similar disgruntled look and headed off towards the festivities.

They got to the cleared field where the shin dig was in full swing.. There was a makeshift dance floor, with a big bonfire off to one side, surrounded by logs where people could sit, rest and drink the local brew. There were a few people playing instruments; one of the musicians looked kind of like Badger, another looked kind of like Niska. That was just weird.

There was dancing occurring around the musicians. Zoë and Wash were swaying together to the rhythm of a slow song playing. River was dancing with herself. Simon was dancing with Kaylee, guess being from the Core had its benefits. The doctor could dance. And then there was his little girl. _His baby dancing with that boy, Aphel. Who in the gorram hell named there kid Aphel? It sounded like apple, and that was just a ruttin' sissy name. _ Mal thought.

Mal and Jayne watched the young couple mesmerized by music and their closeness. Carolyn smiled, a shy smile as the young boy, one arm around her waist drew her a little closer. Mal straightened and shifted around, not wanting to show his uncomfortableness with the situation. Jayne, however had no such self-control.

"He's touchin' her. That ape is touchin' my girl." Jayne growled. "My little Caroline!"

Inara gently touched the two men's arms. "You promised. Caroline's first dance." She looked at them both fiercely "Remember you two promised. Your best behavior!"

"I'm gonna rip his ruttin' head off." Jayne barked.

The bark of Jayne's gruff voice made Mal jerk back from where he'd been snoozing in the common area. Caroline had been up last night with nightmares again; and then he'd been having some rather disturbing dreams about Golensa. So sleep hadn't really happened, again.

_Buddha, that had been one guai, hell of a nightmare_. Mal thought as he stared at his empty coffee cup. _Maybe another cup of coffee could the dream away?_

Jaynes words rang out again as he stormed through the common area, "I'm gonna rip that ruttin' doc's head off." Jayne barked while trying to flee Simon's advances. Simon came through the common area waving a pressure syringe and muttering about the crew vaccinations not being up to date. But choosing to deal with Jayne first may not have been a wise decision.

"She ain't never datin'. Choo fay wuh suh leh, over my dead body!" Mal muttered to empty space as he got up to get another cup of coffee. Was this his third, fourth this morning? _Thank God he had a few years to go before he had to worry about dating; she wasn't quite eight yet._

Baobei - Precious/treasure

Choo fay wuh suh leh – Over my dead body

Fong Luh - Crazy

Ghuh-Ghuh - Big brother

Guai - Hell

Hun dan - Stupid

Mei mei – Little sister

Nǚ hair – Daughter

Yu Bun Duh - Stupid


End file.
